Lawyers need to have a basic understanding of linguistics and psychology. Professor Jackson argues that any account of legal sense commences with the processes of sense construction in general. This is the first volume to synthesise relevant areas of linguistics, psychology and semiotics, and to show their contribution to our understanding of law.

The many examples from the legal system include not guilty verdicts, provocation in criminal law, enacting statutes, witnessing and courtroom examination, gender issues, judicial summings-up, legal drafting and jury deliberations